While other area programs have been a part of televised games, including Yulee last year against Georgia power, Buford, never before has an area program hosted a game that was shown live on national TV. Both First Coast (ESPNU in 2007) and Nease (ESPN 2 in 2005) have also played in games, although they were on the road. St. Augustine and Nease also faced one another in 2006 in a game shown on Fox Sports Net live in North and Central Florida, and tape-delayed elsewhere.

Running back will announce his college choice in the afternoon, play in game on ESPNU at night

Woody.Huband@jacksonville.com Yulee High School running back Derrick Henry takes a handoff from quarterback Dalton Bradley in the first quarter of the game against Andrew Jackson High School. Henry had 170 rushing yards in the first quarter of the game and passed Emmitt Smith to become the second leading rusher in Florida high school football history.(Jacksonville.com, Woody Huband)

Will.Dickey@Jacksonville.com--07/27/12--Yulee High player Derrick Henry, photographed on High School Media Day Friday, July 27, 2012 at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. (The Florida Times-Union, Will Dickey)

Derrick Henry would much rather talk about his Yulee football team than himself.

It’s just becoming more difficult to do by the week.

Five days removed from one of the most prolific games in state history, Henry, the Hornets’ sensational senior running back, is lined up for another monumental Friday. He’ll announce his college decision between 3 and 3:30 p.m., and five hours later, lead the Hornets (3-1) onto the field for a first-of-its-kind moment for the First Coast — a nationally televised game on ESPNU against Belle Glade Glades Day (4-0) and the state’s all-time rushing leader, Kelvin Taylor.

For Henry, it’s just a piece of the puzzle that he hopes continues beyond his tenure in Nassau County.

“It’s good attention for our program,” said Henry, who now has 9,255 career rushing yards which ranks ninth in history, according to the National Federation of High Schools.

“Recruiting for me has been so long. I’m ready to focus on the season, that’s my main focus.”

DOWN TO 3 SCHOOLS

Recruiting has dragged on for Henry since re-opening the process last June, and he said that he’s ready to get it out of the way to concentrate on the remainder of Yulee’s season without distraction. Originally a Georgia pledge, Henry has narrowed his college choices to three programs — Alabama, the Bulldogs and Tennessee.

If it’s not recruiting that people want to know about, it’s Henry’s production, which seems more plausible in a game of “Madden,” rather than playing high school football. Through four games, Henry has 1,391 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns, and he’s on pace to produce just the second 3,000-yard season in area history. Sandalwood graduate Maurice Wells (3,075 yards in 13 games in 2003) is the only player from the First Coast to pass the barrier.

What does the start mean for Henry and the Hornets?

Validation. Respect. A statement. More attention for the community, and more people paying attention to Henry’s teammates.

‘SOMETHING TO PROVE’

Yulee coach Bobby Ramsay said that Henry can be an exception to a very widely circulated belief that the back is too big to play the position in college. Every carry, every yard, every stiff arm is proof that Henry can’t be judged solely on his size alone.

“I think Derrick’s always looked ahead and never looked back and rested on what he’s done,” Ramsay said. “When people say that he’s not a college running back, I think he focuses on his naysayers. He’s always got something to prove.

“I think kids like Derrick and [Tim] Tebow are always going to come along, Cameron Newton, too, Magic Johnson, a 6-9 point guard, there’s always a somatotype for a position, a certain height, a certain weight. Guys come along outside the box of that position and play it well. It’s up to the coaches to fit those guys in.”

Henry’s game-by-game yardage — 336, 242, 303 and 502 — is almost unbelievable considering the competition. His first game came against Gainesville, the state’s top-ranked team in Class 6A, and the 303 came against Class 7A school, South Lake.

And then there was Jackson, which wound up in the history books, courtesy of three Henry records.

The first to fall was Emmitt Smith’s career rushing mark of 8,804 yards, set by Smith at Pensacola Escambia from 1983-86. The next was the state’s mark for consecutive 100-yard rushing games, set by former Pompano Beach Ely star Tyrone Moss (2000-02).

Henry now has 38 consecutive 100-yard games. Both of those were vanquished by the middle of a 190-yard first quarter.

Then came the state’s single-game rushing mark of 501 yards set in 1985 by Shawn Smith of Tampa Bay Tech, which Henry eclipsed with a 1-yard touchdown plunge midway through the fourth.

“It was just special to be a part of,” said Yulee fullback Jason Ray, who has been Henry’s lead blocker since the 2010 season.

“Within the first three plays, he broke Emmitt Smith’s record. I know he deserved it. No one deserves it more than him. We weren’t thinking of that [single-game record], but as we got closer to it, everyone wanted him to get that record, too. It was great to be a part of him breaking that record.”

MADE FOR TV

Henry said that while the individual stuff is humbling, it’s not what he wants to be remembered for.

“All that stuff will fall into place,” Henry said of his accolades. “Every Friday, going with my team and coaches and trying to help my team get a win, that’s my main focus.”

While Friday’s game is only for show — Yulee’s district schedule begins Oct. 5 against Fernandina Beach — it is hyped like few other regular season games are. Glades Day, powered by Taylor, the state’s all-time rushing leader and son of former Jaguars star running back, Fred Taylor, is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A.

As storylines go, it’s a made-for-TV event.

“It’s very exciting, being televised, for the community and my teammates,” Henry said. “It’s pretty cool for it to happen and put my town on the map.”